Broken Arrow
by Agent Gibbs
Summary: Set six years after the end of Ace Combat 5. Blaze & Nagase are married. Osea, Yuktobonia, & North Point have entered an alliance to counter the alliance of Belka and Erusea. And when the Osean Presidential Aircraft is almost destroyed by a revamped Stonehenge, the Razgriz take to the skies once again to combat the dual threat of Erusea and Belka. T rating for safety.
1. Nightmares

_**A/N: This is my first Ace Combat fic.**_

_**As usual, read, review, follow & fave please. Toda.**_

_**Broken Arrow: Military code phrase that a ground unit has been overrun and is facing imminent destruction, and all available air forces within range are to provide air support immediately.**_

* * *

He was known only to his Squadron members by his call-sign, "Blaze." But to his family and his closest friends, he was Jonathon Winters. Born in July of 1988, he quickly discovered a passion for flying, and in the 2010 Circum-Pacific War, he and his Squadron quickly rose to fame, first as the "Four Wings of Sand Island," and later as "The Demons of Razgriz," striking fear into the hearts of their enemies, Yuktobonian, Osean, or otherwise.

After the war had ended, he began a relationship with his "Wingman," Captain Kei Nagase, Call-sign "Edge," and not long after, they ended up married. In his entire career, he had only lost one pilot, Captain Alvin H. Davenport, call-sign "Chopper." It was an unnecessary loss, but Blaze was still haunted by it six years later. And tonight would be no different.

_Blaze was back in the cockpit of his favorite fighter, the XF-02, codenamed "Wyvern." He was flying freely over November City, with Kei, Chopper, and their green but still deadly trailman, Hans Grimm, Call-sign "Archer." The war was over, only peace existed, and the Razgriz were to do a fly-over to open the festivities for the World Cup, the biggest event in soccer._

_All of a sudden, Yuktobonian Fighter Jets appeared from out of nowhere, attacking anything and everything in sight._

_"Wardog, engage!" Blaze shouted, taking out the nearest enemy fighters with quick missile shots and cannon fire. "Split up and let's handle this!"_

_"Wardog 2, roger!"_

_"Wardog 3, roger!"_

_"Wardog 4, roger!"_

_Not long after calling for his Squadron to engage, Blaze heard a faint "Damn!" from Chopper._

_"You alright, man?" Blaze asked. His usually calm Southern drawl was laced with concern._

_"Not really," came Chopper's too-calm reply. "My plane's toast."_

_"Can you bail out, brother?"_

_"I think so." Chopper kept flying as long as he could, and as soon as he saw an opportunity, he grabbed the ejection handle and prepared to bail out. Before the canopy had a chance to pop off, a barrage of missiles hit him, and he exploded in a ball of fire._

"Chopper!" Jon's eyes flew open as he quickly sat up, breathing like he had just run ten miles and sweating at about the same rate. He took a second to regain himself before looking at the clock next to his bed. 0220. He groaned in frustration and tried to get back to sleep, but it just wasn't in the cards. He tossed and turned for the better part of the next half-hour, eventually waking Kei.

"Another nightmare?" Kei asked, voicing her concern for her husband. She reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder, and she could feel him trembling.

"Worst one yet," Jon replied. "We were doing a fly-over for the World Cup in November City, and we were ambushed like before. Only this time, Chop almost made it out. He... He was blown out of the sky before he could, though. All these years, and I still feel like it was my fault."

Kei drew closer to Jon, resting her head on his chest. "It's not your fault," she said reassuringly. "If anything, the blame was on the shoulders of Grabacr. And they have already paid for their sins."

Jon let out a sigh of content and wrapped an arm around Kei, kissing her before drifting back to sleep.

_**So what'd you think? And yes, I had to throw in a World Cup reference. I'm a Manchester United Fan, but I really hope that Team USA wins it this year. Don't forget: Review, follow & fave! Toda!**_


	2. Born to Run

**_Here's Chapter 2. Please note that I could not for the life of me remember Pops' actual name, so I went with the name he was using before the Razgriz were branded as traitors._**

**_Now to answer reviews._**

_Guest: To quote WWE Superstar Dean Ambrose, "Nope."_

_Trainalf: Thanks for the vote of confidence. You're just gonna have to wait and see. Not this chapter, but the next or even Chapter 4.  
_

* * *

_Friday, January 6, 2017. 1200 Hours.  
_

_Sand Island Air Force Base._

Jon sat on the very familiar couch in the very familiar crew room, where Wardog had spent much of their down-time between missions. Chopper would always be jamming to stupid songs like _Face of the Coin,_ Archer would always split his time between video games and Solitaire, Kei was always either keeping her nose in the book she was trying to re-write or watching movies with Jon, and Jon was always multi-tasking: Watching movies, schooling Archer on certain video games, threatening Chopper with Country Music, and flirting with Kei.

He rose from the couch and looked out a window, catching sight of Kei tanning on the beach (He let that image become embroiled in his brain), and saw the Sand Island Commanding Officer, Colonel Peter N. Beagle, or "Pops", walking toward the crew room. Jon walked over to the door and opened it slightly, turning the TV on to one of the many movie channels and attempted to look busy. Luckily, it was one of his favorite movies, _Dr. No_. And it was just staring when Pops walked in.

"Blaze," Pops said, and Jon snapped to attention.

"Sir!"

Pops chuckled, taking a seat in one of the many armchairs in the room. "As you were. Now, I have something I want to ask you, and feel free to say 'no' if you desire."

"What's your question?"

"Our new President is being Inaugurated in two weeks, and our new Allies, Yuktobania and North Point, have already supplied a Squadron apiece for the ceremonial fly-over, and we need to put our best in the air to lead the parade."

Jon cast Pops a dark glare. "Have you lost your damn mind, Sir? The last time we did a fly-over, we lost one of our own. I am _not_ takin' that chance again. I don't care what it's for."

"Would it make any difference if I said he personally asked for Razgriz?"

"I'll think about it. And I'll ask the crew tonight after chow."

"That's all I'm asking for." Pops rose from his chair and Jon snapped to attention. "As you were, for crying out loud."

Pops walked out of the crew room, shaking his head and laughing to himself. He'd never encouraged Military discipline under his command, but he supposed that old habits died hard for some.

_Later that day..._

Jon managed to commandeer a propane grill and a deep-fryer, and the Razgriz were having a small party on the beach where Kei had been sun-bathing earlier. Archer grabbed a beer from the cooler half-buried in the sand and popped it open while Kei was playing DJ.

_In the day we sweat it out in the streets of a runaway American Dream  
At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines  
Sprung from cages on Highway 9  
Chrome wheeled, fuel injected and stepping out over the line  
Baby, this town rips the bones from your back  
It's a death trap, it's a suicide rap  
We got to get out while we're young  
Because tramps like us, baby we were Born To Run_

Jon bobbed his head to the tune, serving the food and eating before he delivered the news.

"Alright, y'all, listen up," he said. "Pops, uh, Colonel Beagle, wants us to do a fly-over for the new President's Inauguration in a couple weeks. Now, I know we're a man short since Swordsman called it a career in 2013, but-"

"A fly-over, Captain?" Grimm suddenly interrupted. "Did the Colonel forget what happened last time? We lost-" Grimm stopped talking after Kei elbowed him rather sharply in the ribs. She also had a 'Shut the hell up' look on her face, and Grimm knew why. The nightmares. He fell silent.

"If I may get back to what I was saying," Jon said, "The Colonel told me that the President himself asked for us. North Point and Yuktobania are also supplying a Squadron each. The Man wants us to be the centerpiece of the whole thing. I'm all for it, but I'm leaving this up to y'all."

Kei and Archer exchanged a look, and they nodded.

"We'll do it," Kei said.

"Finest kind. But I'm still gonna make sure we're armed to the teeth, along with our North Point and Yuktobonian counterparts. I do not want a repeat of what happened last time."

...-_-...

_Friday, January 13, 2017. 0930 hours.  
_

_Sand Island._

The Razgriz walked into the hangar in full flight gear, only to find some of the maintenance crew doing some work on the planes.

"What in the hell are you guys doin'?" Jon snapped.

"Orders, sir," one of the crew replied. "Straight from the top."

Jon started getting a little hot under the collar. "Top here, or Oured?"

"Top of the chain here."

"We'll just see about that."

Jon left the hangar, muttering under his breath with Kei following close behind, trying to talk him out of doing something stupid.

"Jon, don't do it," Kei was saying. He ignored her. "Don't."

"I just wanna talk to him. That's all. If Pops runs like a scalded dog, that's his problem." The homespun analogy made Kei bust out laughing, and Jon took the opportunity to give her the slip and barge into Pops' office.

"Come in," Pops joked. "Let me guess: You want to know why I have crews working on your planes."

"Good guess," Jon joked. "The answer is yes."

Pops sighed. "Well, I guess the cat's out of the bag. I was planning on promoting you three later today."

Jon spluttered. "Promotions? Did I hear that right, or was the Sun in my ears?"

"You heard right. I'm promoting all three of you. It was _supposed_ to be a surprise."

"Oops."

Pops grabbed two black boxes with gold oak leaves and one box with silver Captain's Bars, and walked with Jon back to the hangar, laughing about the entire thing. Grimm, who had been left to guard the planes when Jon and Kei peeled out, was now laughing and joking with the maintenance crew about the War six years earlier, with Kei standing off to the side, shaking her head.

"So Captain Chopper looks at the Captain and Captain Nagase, and he says, 'Kid, you better ask her out soon! If you don't, I will!' And the Captain looks at Chopper, cocks his head to the left, and delivers the most painful smack on the head I've ever seen."

The crew started laughing, and nobody noticed that they had company.

"Keep talkin' and you'll feel one too, Grimm," Jon snapped.

"Captain! Uh, I was just telling these guys one of the old stories." Grimm started stammering until Jon, laughing, held up his hand.

"Shush." Jon looked at Pops, who nodded before continuing.

"I had planned to do this later," Pops said. "But I guess now is a good a time as any. Captain Nagase, would you care to join us, please?"

Kei smiled and joined the group, wondering what was going on.

"Razgriz, Attention!" At the sound of the command, the Razgriz assumed the position of Attention (Standing straight, hands cupped, arms straight and aligned with the seam of the trousers, and feet at a forty-five degree angle).

"Dress Right, Dress!" (At the position of Attention, the Soldiers' Left arm fully extends for everyone but the man at the farthest right of the Commander. All Soldiers' heads, with the exception of the element leader, turn to the right. Element leader looks forward.)

"Ready, Front!" (Command that must always follow "Dress Right, Dress." All Soldiers lower their left arms, if applicable, and turn back to face the Element Commander, returning to the Position of Attention.)

"Now, then," Pops began, "In the year 2010, all three of you were green. So green, in fact, that you resembled baby puke! But you burned through the ranks, and today, you each earn the right to again call yourselves promoted! Jonathon Winters is to be promoted from Captain to Major. Kei Nagase is to promoted from Captain to Major. Hans Grimm is to be promoted from First Lieutenant to Captain."

Pops went to each member of Razgriz, pinned their new rank insignia on their collars, and shook their hands.

"Congratulations," he said. "Present... Arms!" (Standard command for a Salute)

"Order... Arms!" (Drop Salute and resume the position of Attention.)

"Dismissed." The Razgriz fell out of formation and returned to their planes, the XF-02's that destroyed the SOLG and ended the War.

"Major?" One of the ground crew looked at Jon with a serious look on his face.

"What's on your mind, Airman?"

"What's the Military abbreviation for 'Major,' sir?"

"YOU'VE GOTTA BE SHITTIN' ME! Listen once. 'Major' is 'MAJ.' Before you ask, 'Captain' is 'CPT.' Did you not pay attention in Basic Training?"

"Um..."

"RAZGRIZ, MOUNT UP! Y'all can touch-up the planes later."

...-_-...

The Razgriz taxied out to the runway, with smiles crossing all of their faces. This was what they were born for.

"Tower, this is Razgriz 3, requesting clearance for take-off," Archer said.

"_Clearance for take-off granted, Archer, on Runway 09-er,_" the tower replied.

"Roger that." Archer sped down the runway, gaining speed before slowly easing back the stick and gliding into the air.

"Archer is airborne," he said.

"Tower, this is Razgriz 2, requesting clearance for take-off," Edge said.

"_Clearance for take-off granted, Edge, on Runway 09-er,_" The tower replied.

"Roger." Edge sped down the runway, gaining speed before slowly easing back the stick and gliding into the air.

"Edge is airborne," she said.

Blaze watched in awe as his Squadron took back the skies. Smiling wide, he approached the runway.

"Tower, this is Razgriz 1, requesting clearance for take-off," he said.

"_Clearance for take-off granted, Blaze, on Runway 09-er,_" the tower replied.

"That's a roger." Blaze sped down the runway, gaining speed before slowly easing back the stick and gliding into the air, performing a few barrel rolls for the benefit of the ground crew.

Blaze is airborne! Let's form up and run through this one more time."

The Razgriz formed up and went through their routine, perfecting what needed perfecting for the better part of an hour and a half. At the end of their fifth run-through, a faint growling echoed through each pilot's radio.

"_What was that growling I just heard?_" Archer asked.

"_Probably Blaze's stomach,_" Edge joked in return.

"_I heard that!_" Blaze replied jokingly. "_What say we set these birds down and grab a bite to eat?_"

"_Razgriz, your landing is confirmed on Runway 09-er,_" the tower said. "_Begin landing procedures._"

"Tower, this is Blaze, requesting a fly-by."

"_Negative, Razgriz, the pattern is full._"

"_No, Jon, this is not a good idea,_" Kei said after hearing a chuckle from her husband.

"Sorry, babe, but it's time to buzz the tower." The old manic tone was back in Blaze's voice as he pushed the throttle on his Wyvern to over 400 knots.

The Air Boss in the tower didn't even see it coming. He put his mug of scalding hot coffee to his lips as a fighter jet blew right by him, causing the coffee to go everywhere but where he intended.

"Goddamn son of a bitch!"

"Yee-haw!" Blaze shouted, bringing his jet around for a landing. He was still laughing when he got out of the cockpit, and so was Kei, shockingly. But Neither of them was laughing harder than Grimm.

"Uh, Hans," Jon said. "Hans, I have something to tell you."

"Yes, sir?" Grimm asked, his laughter slowly stopping.

"You just pissed yourself."

Horrified, Grimm looked at the front of his flight suit and ran toward the barracks, more specifically, the showers.

"Jon, has anyone ever told you how infuriating you can be?" Kei asked.

"Yeah," Jon answered, wrapping an arm around Kei and giving her a kiss. "My wife. Daily."

Husband and wife shared a laugh and walked to the chow hall, wondering what sort of "food" the Mess Sergeant had prepared.

_**So that's Chapter 2. James Bond references, Top Gun references, a Full Metal Jacket reference, and more. I'll be bringing the Youktobonian and North Point Squadrons in during the Next Chapter. Also, the new President will be revealed. I might do fallout from the fly-by, but I'm not sure yet. And as for the Drill Commands, I paraphrased the summaries from an Army Field Manual. Anyway, review, follow, & fave please. Toda! And good night!**_


	3. A Full Rich Day

_**On with the story! But first...**_

_**Answering Reviews:**_

_Guest: I never flew the 14's more than necessary on AC5. In fact, for Carrier Missions, I quite preferred the F/A-18 or the F-35. And for anything else, once I unlocked it, I flew the X-02 every mission that I could (Except the recon mission and ground attack missions, of course)._

_TheShadeOps: I'm bringing in an OC to bridge that gap within the next few chapters. Stay heads up._

* * *

_Saturday, January 13, 2017. 1000 hours._

_Sand Island._

Grimm walked all over the base, looking for Jon. The reason: He had just been ripped a new one by Pops and the Air Boss (On two separate occasions) for Jon's fly-by the day before. And he was _not_ happy. Finally, he arrived at the door to his Squadron Leader's quarters, and he could swear he heard someone _giggling_. Realizing that he might die for this later, Grimm sucked up his pride and knocked on the door.

"_What?_" Jon yelled.

"The Colonel is looking for you," Grimm replied.

"_What's he want?_"

"He said something about your fly-by on the tower yesterday."

"_That it?_"

"No, sir. He said that I was to quote, 'Pull you away from whoever or whatever you're doing-'" The sound of a boot colliding with the door made Grimm back off.

"_I'll be ready in five minutes. And you better be gone when this door opens._"

Grimm took off like the proverbial scalded dog, not wanting to incur the wrath of his squadron leader again. Granted, the last time, it resulted in a prank war, but Grimm wasn't holding his breath this time.

True to his word, Jon left his quarters at the five minute mark, giving Kei a quick kiss on his way out.

...-_-...

Jon walked into Pops' office, just in time to catch a tirade from the Air Boss he'd buzzed the day before.

"One of your snot-nosed Jockeys did a fly-by on _**MY**_ tower at over _**FOUR HUNDRED KNOTS**_! I want somebody's butt! I want it now! I've had it!" He turned and left Pops' office, running into an Airman with a full cup of coffee in his hand. Upon collision, the Air Boss was again soaked with coffee. "Goddammit! That's twice! I want some butts!"

"Well, I think that about covers the fly-by," Pops said to Jon, who was shaking with silent laughter. "Why?"

"Why not?" Jon replied, still laughing.

Pops' deadpan stare deepened. "I'm not laughing. Why the fly-by?"

"You've seen the way he treats my people. He walks around with a chip on his shoulder just because we got into flight school and he didn't."

Before Pops could reply, the phone on his desk started ringing. "Yeah? Uh-huh? How far out? I'll have them up in five minutes." Click. "Blaze, four unknown aircraft are approaching, vector 0-4-5 at 400 Miles. Fly out and intercept. Bring them here and force them to land."

"Yes, sir!" Jon ran out of Pops' office at full speed to the locker room and pulled his ABU on over his PT Gear. He saw Kei and Grimm changing into their flight gear as well, and he could tell that at least one of them (Other than him, of course) was excited to be flying back into a possible combat situation. As much as he hated war, the flight time was an adrenaline rush he couldn't shake.

...-_-...

_Vector 0-4-5. 200 Miles out._

"Anyone see anything?" Blaze asked.

"No joy," Edge replied.

"I've got nothing," Archer replied.

"Razgriz 1 to Base Control, how accurate is this?"

"_Razgriz, the unidentified aircraft are now one hundred-fifty miles out at an altitude of fifteen thousand feet._"

"Roger," Blaze replied. "Razgriz, let's climb to meet 'em."

By the time the Razgriz reached 15,000 feet, their radars were going nuts.

"I'm picking up four bogeys," Blaze said. "Speed about four hundred, range fifteen miles."

"_Roger, that's your bogey,_" Control replied. "_Do NOT engage._"

"Edge, Archer, ready your weapons, just in case," Blaze ordered. "I'm sending the surrender request now. Testing... Attention, unidentified aircraft, set your course for our beacon immediately. We will direct you to the nearest airfield. Lower your gear if you understand."

After several seconds, four sets of landing gear deployed, and Blaze saw the jets for the first time: Four F-22 Raptors. The Squadron leader then established radio contact with Razgriz.

"_This is Mobius One, leader of the Mobius Squadron, a detachment of the North Point Air Force. To whom do I have the pleasure?_"

"Mobius One, this is Razgriz One," Blaze replied, "Razgriz Squadron leader, of the Osean Air Defense Force 108th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Y'all are a little lost, aren't ya?"

"_Hardly likely,_" Mobius One replied coldly. "_We are on our way to Sand Island Air Force Base._"

"Follow us, Fella," Blaze replied. "Sand Island, this is Blaze. Disregard all warnings and prepare to roll out the welcome mat."

"_Roger that, Blaze,_" Pops replied.

Razgriz executed a 180-degree turn in perfect sync, and Blaze said, "Mobius Squadron, if you'll follow us please. And you can put your gear back up. It was just a precaution."

"_Roger._" Mobius One looked at the Razgriz and thought, '_Who does this guy think he is?_'

...-_-...

_Sand Island._

"Tower, this is Razgriz requesting immediate landing clearance," Blaze said nonchalantly.

"_Clearance granted Razgriz. Will your friends be joining you?_"

"Of course. Mobius Squadron, begin landing procedures."

"_Mobius Squadron, roger._"

The Razgriz watched as four F-22's touched down one by one with the greatest of ease.

"_Razgriz, this is Base Control,_" Pops came over the radio. "_Land and refuel. Four MiGs are approaching from Vector 2-9-0, range 600. I'll take care of our guests._"

"Roger," Blaze replied. "Razgriz, you heard the man."

...-_-...

_Vector 2-9-0. 200 miles to closure._

"Not again," Blaze said. "Not this crap again."

"_I'm sure they're just friendlies for the fly-over,_" Edge reassured Blaze.

"You may be right, sweetcheeks," Blaze joked, looking at his radar. "I'm pickin' up our friends. Speed, three hundred. Range, twenty miles. Keep your eyes peeled."

_15 miles to closure._

"_Osean Air Force Fighter Pilots, this is the Yuktobonian 332nd Tactical Fighter Squadron. We seem to be a little lost. Can you please guide us to Sand Island Air Force Base?_"

"332nd, this is the Osean Air Force 108th Tactical Fighter Squadron," Blaze responded. "Just follow us. We'll get you there."

"_Roger that,_" the 332nd Squadron leader replied. "108th Squadron. You would not happen to be the famous 'Demons of Razgriz,' would you?"

A chuckle swept through the Razgriz. "That's a 'roger' on your question," Blaze replied. "Just stick close. We'll get you there."

...-_-...

_Sand Island._

"Tower, this is Razgriz requesting immediate landing clearance," Blaze said nonchalantly.

"_Clearance granted Razgriz. Will your friends be joining you?_"

"Of course. 332nd Squadron, begin landing procedures."

"_332nd Squadron, roger._"

The four Yuktobonian MiG 35's landed easily on the runway and taxied off to a Hangar off the runway. The Razgriz landed one at a time, this time without a fly-by. Once all pilots were on the ground, Razgriz approached the Yuktobonians and introduced themselves, which they were told could wait until later, as the Yuktobonian pilots were tired as well as hungry. Off to the side, observing the Razgriz, stood Mobius 1. He didn't quite know what to make of the Osean Pilots, trying to befriend the Air Force that was trying to send them to their graves six years earlier. He had to admit, though, their camaraderie was rivaled by next to nobody. So he decided to introduce himself later.

...-_-...

_Later..._

The Razgriz were watching a movie in the crew room, laughing, carrying on, and generally having a good time. None of them noticed Mobius 1 walk in until the movie was over.

"Who's picking the next movie?" Jon asked.

"I've got it," Grimm said. "You two look too comfortable to move."

"Five bucks he picks an action movie," Jon whispered to Kei.

"Ten on chick-flick," Kei whispered back.

"Deal." Jon gave Kei a quick kiss. "What's the movie, Hans?"

Grimm smiled. "_Footloose. _It's a great movie." He grabbed the remote and was bout to press 'play' when Mobius 1 spoke.

"Is this an everyday occurrence?"

Jon turned his head to make eye contact with Mobius 1. "Oh, hey," he said. "You wanna watch the movie?"

"I'll pass. I just came to introduce myself. Lieutenant Colonel Henry Markham, call-sign 'Mobius 1.' I can only assume that you three are the Razgriz."

"You assume correctly, Sir," Jon replied, standing and extending his hand. "Major Jon Winters, call-sign 'Blaze.' This here's Major Kei Nagase, call-sign 'Edge' and Captain Hans Grimm, call-sign 'Archer.' Pleased to meet you, Sir."

"Likewise." Markham shook hands with the Demon and said to Jon, "Does your Command know of your relationship with Major Nagase, Major Winters?"

"The entire Nation of Osea knows," Kei replied.

Markham nodded. "And you haven't been split up?"

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," Jon said. "The three of us have flown together since the Circum-Pacific War in 2010. We've had a couple come and go, though. Our first Squadron leader was shot down the day the War began, we had one KIA in an ambush, and most recently, our last man called it a career four years ago. We've faced it all, and we stood tall, Colonel."

"Faced it all?" Markham sounded skeptical.

"Yeah. Enemy tried to take this base twice. They had _**two**_ aircraft-carrying submarines that launched burst missiles capable of destroying any- and everything below five thousand feet, and we destroyed 'em both. Major Nagase was shot down during a raid on a POW camp in a climate colder than a witch's elbow, and we went and got her back. We lost one of our guys in an ambush during what was just supposed to be a fly-over at a rally. Here's the kicker. Two separate Aggressor Squadrons from Belka tried to destroy us and even managed to convince a few people that we were enemy spies and one of said Aggressors tried to put us in the ground, multiple times. We had to destroy a satellite that was capable of destroying half of the Metro Areas in either country, after an eight-on-four Dogfight with said Aggressors. And we sent them to Hell. Let's hear your stories."

Markham smirked. "Twenty-three years ago, Erusea built a weapon that was originally designed for shooting down asteroids, called 'Stonehenge.' They quickly found out that they could use it as an Anti-Aircraft weapon and gained control over much of the continent. Thirteen years ago, a handful of nations, including North Point, banded together under the Flag of ISAF - Independent State Allied Forces. My Squadron started dealing blow after blow to the Eruseans, until they were forced to send their best after us: The Yellow Squadron. Their Squadron leader was the toughest son of a bitch I've ever flown against, but in the end, I got the better of him. And as for Stonehenge, we destroyed it. And their back-up plan Megalith as well. You don't know Hell until you've flown through a tunnel to destroy a super-weapon."

"We know Hell," Jon replied. "We've been there. We blew open the Gates of Hell and flew out to meet our enemies head-on. And I guaran-damn-tee you that Ofnir and Grabacr woulda turned that Yellow Squadron into a pile of scrap metal real fast."

Markham scoffed. "Son, unless you have at least one hundred confirmed kills, we are not having this conversation."

"Two-fifty, not counting helicopters."

"My Squadron has been flying together for thirteen years. We are the best of the best."

Jon's eyes narrowed, and Kei and Grimm shot to their feet. "You wanna put a bet on that, Colonel?" Jon asked, getting closer to Markham. "I'll put my three against your four any day, and we'll walk out on top."

"I accept your challenge," Markham growled.

"We can do it right here," Jon growled. "21 January, the day after the Inauguration. We'll do it like in training: Get a lock on your target, it counts as a kill."

Markham sneered. Before leaving the crew room, he said, "You're on, boy."

Jon smiled, while Kei and Grimm remained stone-faced. They didn't like where this little challenge was headed.

_***Ominous Music* What will happen next? What fallout will Grimm face for disturbing Jon and Kei's Saturday Morning? Will Razgriz and Mobius kill each other before the Inauguration fly-over? Who's the President? Why haven't I told you all of this yet? *Ominous Music Ends* Because I didn't wanna tell you, that's why. Review, follow, & fave! Toda! Laila tov.  
**_


	4. Business Is About To Pick Up

_**Time for a few reveals, like the President, for one. Also, we will see a "Top Gun" style Duel between Razgriz & Mobius (See the challenge issued last chapter), I'll touch on the Alliance between Erusea and Belka, and within the next couple of chapters, a new Pilot will be assigned to Razgriz.  
**_

_**Reviews:**_

_Guest: I've never really been one to follow canon (See my NCIS Stories). Also, Mobius is only here for the Inauguration and the showdown at Sand Island. For now. You'll just have to keep reading.  
_

**_Now, on with the show!_**

* * *

_Friday, January 20, 2017. 1300 Hours._

_Oured, the Osean Capitol._

The temperature was thirty-two degrees, with a light layer of snow blanketing the City of Oured. Newly elected Osean President Jack Bartlett stood on the steps of the Osean Capitol Building, freezing his tail off waiting for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to make his way out to swear him in. Finally, at about 1330, the Justice appeared, and a light snow started falling again.

"Hurry this up, will you?" Bartlett said. "I'm freezing my balls off out here."

"Of course, Sir," the Justice replied. "If you'll repeat after me, please."

_"I, Jack Bartlett, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the Osean Federation, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Osean Federation. So help me God."  
_

The eleven-jet formation, led by the Razgriz, listened on their radios as Bartlett was sworn in. Razgriz, having trained under Bartlett, let out a collective laugh at his slip of the tongue.

"Alright, y'all know the drill," Blaze said. "Let's Git-R-Done!"

On Blaze's command, the show began. A series of barrel rolls and other aerial acrobatics followed. The Razgriz stole the show with their tight formation and sharp maneuvers. The Yuktobonian 332nd and Mobius split left and right, mirroring each others' moves and even going inverted at one point. The Air Show was concluded after a ten-minute display, and the three Squadrons turned West toward Sand Island.

...-_-...

_Sand Island. 1600 hours._

"Tower, this is Razgriz Flight requesting landing clearance," Blaze said.

"_Clearance is granted on Runway 09-er,_" the tower replied.

"One more thing. This is Blaze requesting a fly-by."

"_Negative, Razgriz One. The pattern is full._"

"_Is this something we should know about?_" The 332nd Squadron leader asked. He was answered with three similar laughs.

As with Blaze's fly-by a week earlier, the Air Boss, who should have expected it to happen, didn't, and was subsequently knocked onto his ass when the Demons buzzed the tower. Razgriz turned around, and they saw two middle fingers poking out of the tower. They landed with laughter that was possibly permanently etched on their faces. The Yuktobonians were laughing along with their Osean counterparts, and quite suddenly, the fragile camaraderie that existed between Razgriz and Mobius quickly dissolved. With just one sentence.

"You Oseans really are cowboys," Mobius 1 snapped.

Jon dropped his gear and turned to Mobius 1. "What's your problem, Markham?"

"You're _everyone's_ problem," Markham sneered. "That's because every time you go up in the air, you're _un-safe._ I don't like you because you're _dangerous._"

Jon pretended to brush the proverbial chip off of Markham's shoulder. "That's right, Mark... ham. We _are_ dangerous."

Markham made a biting motion and walked away, leaving Jon with a satisfied smirk on his face.

"What was that about?" Kei asked.

"It would appear that Colonel Markham thinks we're dangerous 'cowboys.' I say that tomorrow, we show him exactly how dangerous we can be."

...-_-...

_Saturday, January 21, 2017. 1000 hours._

_Sand Island._

The entire base, no, the entire Osean Air Force, was talking about today. Some were hoping that it was the day that the Razgriz would be humiliated, while others just wanted to see the Razgriz in combat again, even if it was only an "exhibition." The exhibition was being run as an actual combat scenario, so Mobius was in one briefing room, and Razgriz was in another.

"Y'all know the drill," Jon told his Demons. "It's not the first time we've been outnumbered, and if business around the world keeps pickin' up, it sure as hell won't be the last. Wait for your two-on-ones. But leave Markham alone. He's mine."

The base was buzzing with excitement as the seven jets took to the skies. They split up and flew in different directions. Sand Island Base Control was handling all communication for this hop.

"_Razgriz, Mobius, you are cleared to engage,_" Pops said over the radio. "_But be warned. If any ordinance leaves any of your aircraft, I will not hesitate to order you shot down._"

"Roger that," Blaze replied. "Razgriz, let's do this thing!"

"_Mobius, Engage._"

Mobius 1 went high and out of the fight, observing and leaving his subordinates to the Mercy of the Razgriz. He was studying the Razgriz more than anything, until he heard a triumphant cry of "_Viper's dead!_" He looked and saw one of the Razgriz had "shot down" his wingman.

"Edge, Archer, y'all got the other two," Blaze said, inwardly celebrating his kill. "I want Mobius 1."

As Mobius 2 made his landing, Blaze pushed his throttle full and went full burner, quickly gaining altitude in his search for Mobius 1.

"_I got one, Major!_" Archer shouted awhile later.

"Don't get cocky, Archer," Blaze replied. "There's still two more out here somewhere."

"_Archer's dead. Take a seat, kid._"

"_Sorry, Major._" Archer followed the Mobius F-22 he'd "shot down," disengaging and returning to Sand Island.

'_Where are you, you son of a bitch?_' Blaze thought, keeping watch for Mobius 1 when he noticed an F-22 on Edge's six o'clock. "Razgriz 2, you've got one on your six. Shake him off."

Blaze watched Edge shake off the Raptor and get behind him before hearing a triumphant "woo" over the radio.

"_One left,_" Edge said. "_But where is he?_"

"Keep your head on a swivel," Blaze replied. "I don't like this shit."

Mobius 1 was high up in the clouds, keeping eyes on his radar. When he saw that only two Razgriz remained, he dove, wanting to get both with one shot. His strategy proved to be faulty, however, when Blaze and Edge scattered in opposite directions. Blaze was pulling some hard G's, so Mobius 1 went after Edge instead. He quickly discovered that lining her up for a kill shot was not going to be as easy as he'd hoped. For the better part of half an hour, he tried to line up his shot, which was tough enough without having to fly full burner to keep up with her. Finally, he managed to line up his shot.

"_Bingo,_" he said. "_Edge is dead. You're outta here, girlie._"

Edge rolled her eyes as she disengaged, saying, "_Blaze, kick his ass._"

"All too happy to," Blaze replied. He pulled up alongside Mobius 1 and gave him the finger before diving at three-quarter throttle. He was smiling ear-to-ear behind his mask and his adrenaline was red-lining. He knew he had to end this quickly, and he started pulling more and more tricks out of his bag. He'd managed to pull up behind Mobius 1 undetected and began attempting to line up his shot. And now he was matching the more experienced pilot move for move, and even using some moves that Mobius 1 had never seen before.

"_Goddamn, this kid's good,_" Mobius 1 muttered.

"Jesus, this guy's good," Blaze muttered.

They continued this dance for about an hour, until Mobius 1 tried to mirror one of the moves that Blaze had made earlier. And that's where he went wrong. Soon, his warning sensors were going off, and when he looked at his six, he saw Blaze plain as day.

"Yee-haw! Mobius 1's dead!" Blaze yelled. Pretty soon, his own warning sensors were going off. "Command, this is Blaze. Are there any more planes in the area?"

"_Blaze, you have a flight of four bogies inbound. Nine hundred knots closure._"

"Request permission to investigate."

"_Granted. Mobius 1 will fly on your wing._"

"_Mobius 1, roger,_" Blaze heard. "_You up for this one, Blaze?_"

"Just a walk in the park, Markham." No sooner did he deliver his response than his missile warning system went off. He cut hard right, barely evading the shot. "Shit! Command, this is Razgriz 1, we are taking fire. Requesting permission to engage!"

"_Permission granted. Transmitting new IFF Data. We are launching additional fighters. Time lapse, approximately ten minutes._"

"Bullshit, ten minutes! This thing'll be over in _two_ minutes! Get on it! All weapons are hot. Target acquired." Blaze checked his HUD (Heads-Up Display) before taking his shot. "I am ready free. Razgriz 1, Fox 3!"

The missile found its mark, one of the fighters that fired on him. Nine more appeared, seemingly out of thin air, and Blaze started formulating a plan.

"Mobius 1, what say we split this down the middle? I'll take four, you take five. Sound good?"

"_Roger that, Blaze. Let's kick some ass._" Mobius 1 split his group down the middle and swung around behind one, lining up his shot. "_Mobius 1, Fox 2!_"

The fighter exploded as two more of Blaze's targets went up in smoke. "Scratch three!"

"_Blaze, break! You've got one on your tail!_"

"Well, get him _off_ my tail!"

Mobius 1 dropped and locked onto the aircraft at Blaze's six. "_Target acquired. Mobius 1, Fox 2!_" The unknown aircraft exploded in a ball of fire.

"Six down, four to go," Blaze said, pulling left and going inverted with one of the unknown aircraft. "Razgriz 1 is locked on. Good tone. Fox 2!"

The pilot of the plane that Blaze had gone inverted with never knew what hit him. One second, he was staring up at one of the most feared pilots in the world, and the next, he was ejecting from a fireball over Sand Island.

"Command, one hostile ejected. He has landed on the base. Have the MP's pick him up."

"_Roger._"

"_Mobius 1 activating XMAA. Two locked. Fox 3!_" Two more aircraft went down, and Blaze was dealing with his own problem. One of the hostile aircraft unleashed a barrage of 30mm cannon fire on him. Luckily, all it did was chip the paint.

"_Blaze, are you alright?_" Command asked.

"I took worse hits in training. I'll be alright." Blaze started analyzing the pilot's moves and found his counter. He let the pilot get past him and fired off another missile. He watched with minute satisfaction as the plane fell toward the ocean. He looked to his right and saw Mobius 1 splash the final enemy fighter.

"Command, this is Razgriz 1. All hostiles have been destroyed."

"_Roger. Return to base._"

The two fighters landed side by side on the runway, and they were soon swamped by ground crew and every other pilot on the base. Jon fought his way through the crowd that was separating him from Kei, and when he got to his wife, he kissed her quite passionately. When they broke the kiss, Kei had a seductive smile on her face.

"You!" Markham yelled, bringing Jon back to reality.

"Yes?" Jon asked in reply, an eyebrow raised.

"You are still dangerous." Markham extended his hand and shook Jon's. "But you can fly on my wing anytime."

"Bullshit. You can fly on mine." Jon wrapped his arm around Kei and turned to leave, but Markham held him up again.

"You two... married?"

"Yes," Jon replied. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to spend some time with my wife before my adrenaline flat-lines."

...-_-...

_Monday, January 23, 2017._

_Farbanti, Erusea. 1300 local time._

Ever since the War thirteen years earlier, the Erusean Government had been closely monitored by ISAF Intelligence Agencies. The thing that astounded the Eruseans, however, was that with all of those Intelligence Agencies snooping around, they had managed to rebuild and strengthen Stonehenge, but they hadn't done it alone. For the better part of the last decade, they had been allied with a country that had a plethora of experience sneaking around and pissing off other countries: Belka. The Eruseans had started rebuilding Stonehenge in 2007, and it was nearly completed when a B-52 Stratofortress carrying a full payload of 70,000 pounds of ordinance crashed into the site.

The damage had been catastrophic, and the people revolted. After a long and brutal civil war, they ousted their democratically-elected government and instilled in its place what was now a military dictatorship, headed by a psychotic Sergeant that had barely survived the War thirteen years ago. He approached Belka in 2011 about an alliance, and the reeling Belkan Nation quickly accepted his offer. Together, the two Nations rebuilt Stonehenge and plotted revenge on the countries that put them on the path to ruin. Their plans were almost complete when Jack Bartlett was elected President of Osea. Both governments knew of Bartlett's reputation, not just as a pilot, but as a military man period. He was not one to be toyed with. Now, as he watched the footage from the dogfight over Sand Island, where he lost ten of his best pilots not only to that bastard Mobius 1, but to the Razgriz as well, he knew that he'd have to act soon. He had already placed a call to the Belkan Ambassador, and he was just waiting for the blasted man to show up.

Finally, there was a familiar knock on his office door, and the Belkan Ambassador entered the Dictator's office.

"Mr. Brandt," the Ambassador simply said. "What news have you for the People's Republic of Belka?"

"This alliance between Osea, North Point and Yuktobonia is proving to be a nuisance," Brandt replied. "This past Saturday, the Mobius and Razgriz Squadrons held a training drill, and I sent ten of my best pilots in to observe and destroy them. Razgriz 1 and that bastard Mobius 1 destroyed all of them."

"Mr. Brandt, did you say 'Razgriz,' as in the _Demons of Razgriz_?"

Brandt nodded. "That is them. Why?"

The Ambassador pulled a thumb drive from his pocket and held it up. "The Razgriz. Everything you need to know about them is on here. May I?" The Ambassador added, looking at Brandt's computer. Brandt nodded and took the thumb drive, plugging it into his computer and downloading the information.

"_Danke,_" Brandt said. "Is there anything about the Razgriz I should be aware of that is not in this file?"

The Osean President Bartlett. He trained the Razgriz seven years ago, before the Circum-Pacific War."

"And during that War?" Brandt asked.

"Our Yuktobonian puppets didn't have him a week before he escaped. Do not underestimate his ability to use force."

Brandt nodded. "I was told that you come bearing a message from your Supreme Leader."

The Ambassador nodded. "12 February," he said. Brandt nodded, then rose from his seat and shook the Ambassador's hand. Things were definitely about to get interesting.

_'When history witnessed a great change, Razgriz reveals itself: First, as a Dark Demon. As a Demon, it uses its power to rain death upon the land, and then it dies. However, after a period of slumber, Razgriz returns.'_

* * *

**_So that's it for this chapter... 46 hours later than I hoped! Thanks to everyone that's read and reviewed so far. In the next few chapters, I promise that, in the words of WWE Hall of Fame Commentator Jim Ross, "Business Is About To Pick Up!" Review, please! I cannot stress that enough!  
_**


	5. Bete Noire

_**Alright, already. The Show Goes On...**_

_**Damn you, Lupe Fiasco!**_

_**But first, reviews:**_

_Guest (Reviewed - 0422, 5 April): _Top Gun_ is just one of the many pop-culture references to be made in this fic. Also, so far, there have been references to the World Cup, WWE, James Bond, Bruce Springsteen, _M*A*S*H_, _NCIS_, _Full Metal Jacket_, Frank Sinatra, _Air Force One_, etc. And I might include some references to _The Expendables_ Later on. Also, the "Major Winters" thing... That's a _Band of Brothers_ Reference and tribute to one of the greatest Officers of World War II.  
_

_Guest (Reviewed - 1046, 5 April): Glad you like it. I wasn't sure how to write Blaze's character until I talked to one of my cousins up in Georgia. I thought it would be a refreshing change (And funny) to write Blaze as a down-home good ol' boy instead of a sophisticated schmuck with a silver spoon stuck where the sun don't shine. And let''s not forget human as well. A portion of this chapter will be dedicated to showing that Jon (Blaze) is indeed human.  
_

_**Anyway, on with the story.**_

* * *

_'When history witnessed a great change, Razgriz reveals itself: First, as a Dark Demon. As a Demon, it uses its power to rain death upon the land, and then it dies. However, after a period of slumber, Razgriz returns.'_

_Sunday, February 12, 2017._

_Early Morning._

_Sand Island._

Kei's internal alarm clock woke her up at 0600, just like every other morning. Still semi-comatose, she reached for Jon, feeling only the sheets. Her eyes opened and she bolted up, looking around the room for Jon until she saw a note on his pillow.

_Kei-_

_Too many nightmares during the night. Couldn't sleep. Went for a run, be back soon._

_Love you,_

_Jon_

Kei smiled and peered out the closest window, seeing Jon beating the stuffing out of a makeshift punching bag near the motor pool. She watched him for almost ten more minutes, and as his strikes became quicker and more erratic, she became more concerned. Finally, Kei pulled on her own PT Gear and headed out.

Jon was in his own world right now, taking his anger out on the makeshift heavy-bag. Nothing else mattered, not his guilt over Chopper's death, not his recent bouts with insomnia, and not the random flashbacks he'd been having for the last month. Finally, his anger boiled over, and with a Roundhouse kick that would make Chuck Norris cringe, Jon kicked the bag off its rope and it split in half. Upon catching sight of the contents coming out of the bag, Jon started remembering the Port St. Hewlett attack, and an intense wave of nausea attacked him. Too many painful memories were trying to fight their way to the surface, and he didn't want to deal with it. Turning away from what was left of the bag, he sat on the ground, drew his knees to his chest and completely zoned out.

"Jon." Kei had been observing her husband for the better part of the last half-hour, and when she saw him on the ground and not responding to her, she didn't know if he was just ignoring her (Which he sometimes did, claiming that it was "Out of love"), or if it was something more serious. "_**Jon.**_"

Jon visibly jumped, but when he turned around and saw Kei, a look of relief spread across his face. "Hi, Kei. Nice morning, ain't it?"

Kei moved closer to Jon and sat down next to him. He didn't buck, which she took as a good sign. "It would be a better morning if I actually woke up next to my husband for once. You want to tell me what's going on?"

"The nightmares. They're getting worse, and that's not even half of it." Jon reached for Kei and drew her closer to him, and she could feel him trembling.

"What else has been happening?"

"Insomnia, guilt, hallucinations, random outbursts of anger," Jon pointed to the bag to illustrate this last point. "And for the past month or so, I've been having some bad flashbacks."

Kei's eyes widened. "Jon, if you're describing what I think you are-"

"I- I think so. And honestly, baby, I- I'm scared."

"Scared of what, sweetheart?" Kei's voice was soft, comforting even.

"I'm scared of what might happen to me, to us... I'm scared of what might happen to you. The one that woke me up this morning, the nightmare that pushed me out of bed, it was about you." Jon brought Kei's eyes up to meet his, and from the tears welling in his eyes, she knew what his nightmare was about and didn't bother asking. She was further surprised when he kissed her with more passion than either of them thought he possessed. "I love you, Kei."

Kei was speechless. Not because of what Jon said, but because of the passion behind his words. She was rendered even more speechless when Jon suddenly lifted her up and proceeded to carry her back to their quarters. She let slip a small giggle, which Jon pretended not to notice. When they arrived back at their quarters (Jon was still carrying Kei), Jon dropped Kei onto the bed and proceeded to help her out of her clothes. When she lay naked before him, he began kissing every part of her that he could. Working his way down, he finally settled between Kei's thighs. He let his tongue do the work, and Kei's ecstatic moans filled the small room, which pushed Jon to keep going. Kei's moans became louder and more frequent, until she was forced to push Jon off of her. Jon worked his way back up Kei, and she barrel-rolled him. Jon began his Dracula impersonation on Kei's neck, and she let out a barely audible gasp. She grabbed Jon and guided him into her, again letting a gasp escape her lips. Jon smirked and placed his hands on Kei's hips, watching her grind on him. For the better part of the next half-hour they made love, and afterward, they stayed wrapped in each others' arms. Until Jon got up and dressed. Kei had drifted back to sleep, so Jon took the opportunity to go take a shower.

...-_-...

_Osean Airspace, 200 Miles from Sand Island._

_1000 hours._

Osea was a nation at peace, yet the President's aircraft still flew with a fighter escort and an AWACS providing intelligence to the escort fighters and Presidential Pilots on aerial traffic within a 150-mile radius. Every other day, it was the same routine: The AWACS would always report no joy, the fighters would be sent high and away while the President's Aircraft (Re-named "Heartbreak One" at Bartlett's insistence) made its landing. But today wasn't every other day.

"_This is AWACS Red-Eye! Unidentified aircraft are incoming. Halo Squadron, return to Combat Air Patrol Stations._"

"_Halo Flight to Red-Eye. Are they friendly?_"

"_Negative, Halo-_"

"_Red-Eye, this is Halo One! We are taking fire; request permission to engage!_"

"_Halo, this is Red-Eye. You are cleared to Engage!_"

One of the enemy pilots managed to sneak in behind Heartbreak One, and he got a missile off. Fortunately, the massive plane's countermeasures deployed, and the missile was destroyed in a chaff burst.

"Shit! AWACS, Halo, this is HB1! We are taking fire!"

"_Roger, Heartbreak One!_" Red-Eye yelled. "_I'm calling for additional Air Support!_"

The same enemy plane that fired on Heartbreak One the first go-round fired again, and the pilots managed to evade the missile, but used up their last countermeasures, and Pilot and Co-Pilot shared a look.

"Get the President up here," the Pilot ordered his Co-Pilot.

"Yes, sir." The missile warning alarm went off again, and the Pilot started cursing like a Sailor.

"Shit! We've lost countermeasures! Repeat, we have lost countermeasures!" He started to turn and descend, hoping to evade the missile.

"_This is Halo 2. They've lost countermeasures, I'm going in._" Halo 2 flew in behind Heartbreak One and took the hit. His plane exploded, and the fragments destroyed the tail wing. Halo 1 locked onto the bandit and took a shot, killing the pilot that splashed her wingman.

"_Red-E_y_e, this is Halo 1. Where are those additional fighters?_" While waiting for an answer, Halo 1 splashed another fighter.

"_Halo Flight, reinforcements are inbound! 10 minutes!_"

"_We may not be here in ten minutes!_" A new voice snapped over the radio. "_This is Heartbreak One. Halo lead, report!_"

"_This is Halo 1, Mr. President. I have lost two of my pilots and splashed three enemies._" The final enemy pilot pulled in behind Halo 3 and shot him down. Halo 1 turned and pulled in behind him and prepared for a fight. The enemy pilot turned hard and came to the starboard side of Heartbreak One, opening fire on one of the engines. Bartlett got back on the mic and started cursing out Red-Eye.

"_Goddammit! Red-Eye, this is Heartbreak One. Where the fuck are those reinforcements?!_"

"_Capital District Air Command is scrambling fighters from McNealy Air Base, sir._"

"_Unacceptable! We are one hundred and fifty miles North of Sand Island! Make a call, scramble the Razgriz!_"

...-_-...

_Sand Island._

The P.A. clicked on and the following announcement echoed through the base: "_Razgriz, report to briefing immediately!_"

**Briefing:**

**Osean Presidential Aircraft Heartbreak One has been ambushed about two hundred mile north by fighters of unknown origin. Heartbreak One has sustained heavy damage but is still flying. The President's Halo Escort Fighters have been all but destroyed. Razgriz, your mission is to provide air cover and escort for Heartbreak One. More enemy planes may be inbound, and tensions are running high. If you witness a hostile act, you will return fire.**

**Good hunting. Dismissed!**

...-_-...

Razgriz went supersonic and arrived on-scene in about thirty seconds.

"_Razgriz, this is AWACS Red-Eye. Welcome to the party._"

"Roger that, AWACS," Blaze replied. "Heartbreak One, what do you say?"

"_Kid, if you crack one joke,_" Bartlett said threateningly.

"Alright, alright. How's the plane? Can you land it?"

"_We've lost two engines, our six is shot, we've lost tail flaps, and we can barely keep this bird in the air, Kid. You have any ideas?_"

Blaze thought for a second. "Just one, but it's kind of risky. Red-Eye, isn't there a para-rescue team nearby?"

"_What are you thinking, Kid?_"

"The Para-Rescue team I'm talking about was training for something like this. I say we give it a go. Red-Eye, can you raise them?"

"_Roger. Stand by, Razgriz. Attention. This is AWACS, call-sign 'Red-Eye' to Voodoo Para-Rescue team. Do you copy?_"

"_Red-Eye, this is Voodoo 1-3. What's going on?_"

"_Stand by. I'm patching you into the Razgriz._"

"Red-Eye, is it live?" Blaze asked.

"_Razgriz 1, you are a go,_" Red-Eye replied.

"Thank you. Voodoo, this is Razgriz. We have a situation a few clicks south of you. Heartbreak One has taken serious damage and we need to get everyone out before they go down."

"_Razgriz, this is Voodoo 1-3. How bad is the damage?_"

"Minus two engines and a tail rudder. They can't land it."

"_We're five minutes away, Razgriz. Can they hold it for that long?_"

"Stand by. Heartbreak One, this is Blaze. Can y'all hold it in the air for five minutes?"

"_I think that's all we've got, Kid,_" Bartlett replied.

"Roger. Voodoo, they can hold, but you better double-double-time. You trackin'?"

"_We copy, Razgriz._"

"Good. Heartbreak One, where's your last Halo?"

"_Staying high for now, Kid. Why?_"

"Red-Eye, check your radar. I'm picking something up that wasn't there two seconds ago."

"_Radars are clear, Blaze,_" Red-Eye replied.

"Razgriz, I want radars checked. Halo Pilot, if you heard that, it goes for you as well. Check 'em, and check 'em again."

All radars came back clear, and after another agonizing couple of minutes, Voodoo team arrived on-scene.

"_Heartbreak One, this is Voodoo 1-3. If you can hear us, please acknowledge._"

"_We've got you loud and clear,_" Bartlett replied. "_Let's get this over with._"

"_Roger. First Jumper is on the way._"

Razgriz, Red-Eye and Halo 1 watched as the first jumper left the C-130. While there was a cable attached to him, Blaze still had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He watched as one of HB1's doors flew off, creating an entrance for the jumper. He made it to the entrance and was pulled inside by two Secret Service Agents. He detached the cable from his person and hooked it to a D-Link before attaching that to the door-frame. The pilots watched with their breath held as the rescue began. And just when Blaze thought that they were in the clear, they got a bit of bad news.

"_Razgriz, Halo, we have unknown aircraft approaching from Vector_ 0-1-5," Red-Eye said. "_Intercept and shoot them down._"

"Razgriz, roger," Blaze replied. "Halo, how are you suited on weapons?"

"_Uh, full guns, four AMRAAM missiles and one Sidewinder,_" Halo replied.

"Go trail; you're flying Archer's wing. Archer, tilt your right wing up a bit." Blaze waited until Halo was in position before continuing. "Good. From here on, you'll be known as Razgriz 4, understood?"

"_Yes, sir,_" Halo replied.

"Good. Red-Eye, how far to visual contact?"

"_Twelve miles._"

"Roger." Blaze kept his eyes flickering between his radar and his HUD. His radar showed only one hit, but he wasn't holding his breath. His radar beeped again, and eight signatures appeared. And that's when he made visual contact. "Shit! There's eight of them!"

"_J-20's!_" Edge shouted. "_Nobody's been this close before!_"

"Lead them away from Bartlett! Engage!"

"_Razgriz 2, roger._"

"_Razgriz 3, roger._"

"_Razgriz 4, roger._"

"Break formation!" Blaze broke off and went after the lead two bandits, activating his AMRAAM's. He watched as Halo downed one, and Edge and Archer each downed one as well. Not wanting to be outdone, Blaze pulled back on his throttle, lined up his shot, and fired. Two AMRAAM's left his missile bay, but only one hit its target. The second fizzled out after firing, and Blaze started swearing. "Voodoo, how's it going?"

"_They just lost another engine! North Point's PM is secure._"

"Goddammit! You're running out of time!"

"_**GET THE PRESIDENT OUT OF THERE!**_" Red-Eye yelled, as loud as he could.

Edge splashed another bandit, but another quickly latched onto her. "_Blaze, I've got one on my tail!_"

"I gotcha," Blaze replied, pulling in behind the J-20. "Kei, on three, I want you to break right. 1... 2... 3! BREAK! Got my shot! Razgriz 1, Fox 3!" Blaze fired the AMRAAM and it went right up the Port engine. The J-20 exploded as Heartbreak One fell into the Ocean.

"_Voodoo 1-3, do you have the President?_" Red-Eye asked.

"_Stand by,_" came the frantic reply.

Blaze looked toward the sky and did (silently) something he hadn't done in almost seven years: Prayed.

"_Voodoo 1-3, do you have the President?_" Red-Eye asked.

"_We got him! Voodoo 1-3 is changing call-signs! Voodoo 1-3 is now Heartbreak One!_"

Cheers rang out across the entire frequency as the Razgriz formed back up.

"Razgriz 1 to Razgriz 2," Blaze suddenly said. "Edge, you read me?"

"_This is Edge, I read you. What's up?_"

"Remind me to kiss you after we land. Blaze, out."

The Razgriz took up escort positions around the C-130, until Red-Eye issued a new warning. "_Incoming anti-air attack. All aircraft, descend below two thousand feet. Ten seconds to impact. Eight... Seven... Six... Five... Four... Three... Two... One... Impact!_"

Blaze watched the air above his canopy distort and bend into different shapes as the attack happened. "Razgriz 1 to all aircraft. Stay below two thousand. We don't know when that thing's gonna hit again."

Sand Island quickly came into view, and the Razgriz broke off, allowing the behemoth C-130 to land first. Halo landed next, followed by Archer, then Edge, and lastly, Blaze. The entire base had been listening to the radio frequency broadcast of the rescue and subsequent dogfight, and a mob of medics and Intelligence officers quickly surrounded the Razgriz and Voodoo crews.

Halo and the crew & passengers from Heartbreak One were taken to the base infirmary, while the intelligence officers questioned the Razgriz about the J-20's. Jon ignored the questions while he tried to pull off his helmet. As soon as he took a step toward Kei, however, everything went black. He dropped like a rock and hit the ground hard. Luckily, though, his helmet had decided to be difficult, and he avoided a major head injury. The last thing he heard before he blacked out was Kei screaming for a medic.

* * *

_***More ominous music* What happened to Blaze? Did everything finally get to him? Who's behind the attack on HB1? Will 'Halo' be permanently assigned to Razgriz? Who is 'Halo'? *Ominous music ends* All that and more will be discussed in the next few chapters. And whoever guesses what Blaze and Nagase were talking about in the beginning of the chapter gets a cookie. (::) Review, follow & fave, please! Toda!  
**_


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